Cloth shrinking machine



5M 22, i935 l B. sHAw 1,988,519

CLOTH 'SHRINKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 193:5 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1935. B. J. SHAWl CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE Filed No.. 15, "1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 22,1935 Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Fashion Park Manufacturing Corporation,

Rochester, N. Y., a corporationv of New York Application November 13, 1933, Serial No. 697,761

8 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in a cloth shrinking machine and .its novelty consists in the adaptation and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

There are a-number of cloth shrinking machines now in use but in all of these machines it is necessary in order to take the cloth through the necessary steps of steaming, applying a water bath and removing the surplus water to pull the cloththrough these various operations thereby unduly stretching the cloth lengthwise and simultaneously narrowing the width of the cloth by such longitudinal stretching.

This is a real problem in handling cloth for shrinking as the cloth is most sensitive to such unintentional stretching when it is steamed and wet, as it must be in carrying out the shrinking operation.

Such stretching results in a distortion both as to the length and width of such cloth which cannot be readily corrected and thereby unts the cloth for suitable cutting and making up into garments or other articles as this distortion will thereby be carried into the make-up of the garment or such article in which the cloth is finally utilized.

My device overcomes this serious problem and furnishes a machine which insures a uniform and even shrinking of the entire fabric treated without distortion and in perfect condition for make up into garments or other articles.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete device with one portion broken to show the construction thereunder.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1 with the middle portion broken away for convenience 'in illustration and two portions cut away in order to show the construction beneath.

In the drawings on the base or iloor 3 is rigidly mounted by means of bolts 4 in the' usual way a pair of end frame members 5 of suitable cast iron or steel which are of a V type and are designed and flanged to accommodate cross members 6 of suitably thick wood forming the sides of a V type vat 7 and the ends 5 are rigidly secured together by means of iron rods 8 whereby the wooden. cross members 6 may be securely clamped tightly to each end 5. On the insideof each of the ends 5 is rigidly secured a pair of 'angle irons 9 forming between each of said pairs anges 19 and 20. To the outer end of the shaft l5 is rigidly secured in the usual way a pulley 21 by means of which power from an outside source (not shown) is transmitted to said shaft and roller 17. A chain sprocket 22 is rigidly secured to the shaft 15 in the usual way and a chain A sprocket 23 is also rigidly secured in a similar manner to the shaft 16 of roller 18. A chain 24 of usual construction is adapted to run continuously over said 'sprockets 22 and 23 whereby the power transmitted to shaftg15 is thereby` transmitted to shaft 16 so that power driven rollers 17 and 18 are absolutely synchronized in their rotation.

At the left hand end of Figure l, which is the beginning of my machine, is rigidly `secured to each of the ends 5 in the usual way at 25 a pair of brackets 26 on which is rigidly secured in the usual way at 27 a platform 28. On the platform 28 is rigidly mounted a steam box 29 of' usual construction which is fed'by an outside source of steam through pipe 30 an'd hand valve 31 in the usual manner.

To each of the end members 5 is rigidly secured at 32 in the usual manner end frame members -33 which are rigidly secured at 34 to the base 3.

These end frames 33 are rigidly secured together' at the properly spaced distance by means of rods 35. At the right hand upper end of Figure 1, which is the finishing end of my machine, is rigidly secured at 36 to each of the frame members 33 a pair of brackets 37 in which are'supported usual roller bearings 38 and in which bearings 38 is mounted shaft 39 of idling roller 40. Rigidly secured to each of the frames 33 at 41 in the usual manner are'tight vacuum boxes 42 which are held in rigid position on said frames 33 at each end by means of plates 43 which are fastened over the ends of each of said boxes 42 by means of the usual bolts 44 having the middle spacer members 45 between the frames 33 and the plates 43 and being mounted over said bolts 44 and having horizontal slots 46 running the length of said boxes. A rotary vacuum pump 47 of usual construction is mounted on the base 3 and through pipe connection 48 and automatic regulator vacuum valve and gauge 49 mounted in said pipe 48 connects through a manifold 50 and connecting pipes 51 into the vacuum boxes 42 terminating in an open end T 51a so as to effect a vacuum in said boxes.r By meansA of the automatic regulating valve 49 a uniform vacuum ismaintained at the longitudinal slots 46 by means of the well known quick opening and closing swinging valves, (not shown) which regulate and control the amount of opening at 46. y

A perforated metal endless apron or conveyor 52 preferably made of a wire mesh, is adapted to pass over Arollers 17 and 40 and a guide roller 53 having a shaft 54 mounted in the usual roller bearings 55 which in turn are mounted in brackets 56 secured in the usual Well known manner at 57 to each of the frames 33. A tension roller 58 having a shaft 59 is mounted in roller bearings 60V in the frames ,61 which through the usual gear and threaded shaft are moved back and forth by means of the turning of the hand wheel 63 on the frame 62 which is rigidly secured at 71 to the frames 33 so as to place more or less tension on the endless apron or conveyor 52 as the tension roller 58 is thereby moved back and forth in alignment with the line of travel of the endless conveyor 52 passing thereover. A guide roller 64 having a shaft 65 mounted in the usual way on roller bearings 66 in frames 67 is pivoted at the far end in Fig. 1 and adapted to be moved back and forth at the near end in Fig. 1 so as to control the direction of the endless conveyor 52 onto rigidly secured to the frames 33 at 70. Through Y the pivotal movement of the said guide roller 64 to the'desired position the line of movement of the Aendless conveyor 52 passing thereover is thrown into and can be maintained in perfect alignment by said pivotal adjustments as it passes on to the driven roller 17.-

A pair of brackets 72 is rigidly secured at 73 to the frames 33 and support members 74 are rigidly secured in the usual manner to each of these brackets 72 and have mounted therein the usual roller bearings 75 in which shaft 76 of guide roller 77 is mounted. o

There is also a pipe 79 running into the base of the vat 7 controlled by valve 80 which can be used as a waterV feed or water drain pipe throughA other suitable connections not shown.

In operating my device a complete piece of goods or fabric 78 as it comes from the mill will be placed on the platform 28 and fed through steam box 29 in which there is steam, the volume of which is controlled by valve 31 so that the said fabric will be thoroughly steam treated and it will then be passed over the driven roller 18 down into the vat 7 which is filled with water and under the riding roller 12 which rides on said fabric 78 in a manner to insure a complete water bath, and thence'up over the driven roller 17 on to the endless conveyor 52 whence it will be carried over the vacuum boxes 42 and the openings 46 whereby, through the actionrof the vacuum, the surplus water will be pulled through from the top portion of the fabric 78 into the fabric and any surplus water in the fabric 78 will be drawn out of the same so that the entire fabric 78 is in a uniform moistened condition as it leaves the vacuum box or boxes 42 and passes over the roller 40 and roller 77 into a skag or'carrier 81, so as Yto be taken to the drier for drying.

It will be particularly noted that my device is so arrangedand operated that the fabric being shrunk or treated receives its uniform steam treatment, water bath and uniform removal of surplus moisture through a continuous operation I ture condition and removal of surplus moisture must be variedto meet the varying fabric requirements, that my device furnishes automatic opening and closing swinging valves of usual structure (not shown herein) which are automatically operated in the well known manner by means of the vacuum valve 49, thereby insuring uniform treatmentl of different types of fabric so that the shrinking of any; fabric run through my device will come out in a uniform manner.

' One or two vacuum boxes 42 instead of three as shown herein, with their connections as described may be utilized to effect the function set forth and' claimed herein.

It will be apparent that many other variations may be made in the particular construction of my device without departing from the spirit and intent of the same and the claims cover the scope of such variations which are too numerous to recite herein.

I claim:

1. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor, means for feeding the cloth to be shrunk through said steam box and thence through said water bath, means for feeding said cloth from said bath over said surplus water remover and distributor comprising an endless perforated conveyor and means for driving both feeding means at the same speed, both of said feeding means operating without stretching said cloth.

2. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor of the suction type, means for feeding the cloth to be shrunk through said steam box and thence through the water bath comprising a pair of synchronized driven rollers one on each end of said bath and a riding roller in said bath between, means for feeding said cloth from said bath over said surplus water remover and distributor comprising an endless perforated conveyor passing over the surplus water remover, both of said feeding means operating without stretching said cloth and automatic means for regulating the suction of said surplus water remover and distributor.

3. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor of the suction type, means for conveying the cloth to be shrunk to and through said steam treating means, thence to and through said water bath, thence to and over said surplus water remover and distributor and avoiding any pulling directly on said cloth during said entire travel comprising a pair of synchronized driving rollers mounted at the upper edge of said bath in which is mounted a riding roller and an endless perforated conveyor running over the second of said driven rollers and an idler roller at the finishing end of said machine and automatic means for regulating the suction of said surplus water re mover and distributor. I

4. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor of the suction type, means for feeding the cloth to be shrunk through said steam box and thence through said 'water bath comprising a pair of synchronized driven rollers one at each end of said bath and a riding roller between, means for feeding said cloth from said bath over said surplus Water remover and distributor onto a drier carrier consisting of an endless perforated conveyor passing over a vacuum slot, both of said feeding means operating without stretching said cloth, means for regulating both the direction and the tension of said endless perforated conveyor and automatic means for regulating the suction of said surplus water remover and disi tributor.

5. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor of the suction type, means for conveying the cloth to be shrunk to and through said steam treating means, thence to and through said water bath, thence to and over said surplus water remover and distributor and avoiding any pulling directly on said cloth during said entire travel comprising a pair of synchronized driving rollers mounted at opposite ends of the upper edge of said bath in which is mounted a riding roller and an endless perforated conveyor running over the second of said driven rollers and an idler roller at the finishing end of said machine and means for regulating the tension of said endless perforated conveyor and automatic means for regulating the suction of said surplus water remover and distributor.

6. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam boit.

a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor, means for conveying the cloth to be shrunk to and through said steam treating means, thence to and through said water bath, thence to and over said surplus water remover anddistributor and avoiding any pulling directly on said cloth during said entire travel comprising a pair of synchronized driven rollers mounted at the opposite ends of the upper edge of said bath in said bath between, means for feeding said cloth from said bathvover said surplus water remover and distributor comprising an endless perforated conveyor passing over the surplus water remover both of said feeding means operating without stretching said cloth and separate means'for regulating both the direction and the tension of said endless perforated conveyor.

8. In a cloth shrinking machine a steam box, a water bath, a surplus water remover and distributor, means for conveying the cloth to be shrunk to and through said steam treating means, thence to and through said water bath, thence to and over said surplus water remover and distributor and avoiding any pulling directly on said cloth during said entire travel comprising a pair of synchronized` driven rollers one mounted at each end of the upper edge of said bath in which .is mounted a riding roller, and an endless perforated conveyor running over the second of said driven rollers over said surplus water remover and thence over an idler roller at the finishing end of said machine, and means for regulating the tension of said endless perforated conveyor.

BURT J. SHAW. 

